Iñaki Perurena Gartziarena (born 25 October 1956) is a

Basque Basque may refer to: * Basques, an ethnic group of Spain and France * Basque language, their language Places * Basque Country (greater region), the homeland of the Basque people with parts in both Spain and France * Basque Country (autonomous co ...

Strongman Strongman is a competitive strength sport which tests athletes' physical strength and endurance through a variety of heavy lifts and events. Strongman competitions are known for their intensity, pushing athletes to their physical and mental limit ...

who specializes in

Harri-jasotzaileak Harri-jasotze () refers to a popular Basque rural sports, rural sport in the Basque Country (greater region), Basque Country (northern Spain) in which stones of various shapes and sizes Stone lifting, must be lifted off the ground and onto the sh ...

(traditional Basque stone-lifting), and also a poet and a bertsolari.

Career and achievements

Perurena made his debut as a stone lifter in 1973

Guipúzcoa Gipuzkoa ( , ; ; ) is a province of Spain and a historical territory of the autonomous community of the Basque Country. Its capital city is Donostia-San Sebastián. Gipuzkoa shares borders with the French department of Pyrénées-Atlantique ...

championships. Within the next few years he improved drastically and became the first stone lifter in the country to successfully lift a ''laukizuzena'' (rectangular stone) at the 1987 Antonio Elorza Velodrome, Donostia. He kept on breaking the record until 1994 where he raised the mark to . In 1999, he established another record by lifting a stone 1,000 times continuously in 5 hours, and four years later, extended it to 1,700 consecutive lifts in 9 hours. Perurena also holds one arm ''laukizuzena'' records of for maximum weight, for three reps and for four reps. Apart from the standard Basque stones, he also holds records in irregular stones such as the ''Albizuri Aundi'' which he lifted 13 times in 10 minutes, and the ''Boro Harria'', both of which has eluded many modern athletes due to the odd shape and challenges to grip the two stones. He also holds the world record for the heaviest Atlas stone ever to be shouldered at . In recognition of his stone-lifting achievements, Perurena was awarded the 2010 Navarra Gold Medal for Sports, and due to his prowess with both ancient and modern stones, Perurena is considered the greatest Basque stonelifter in history.

Personal life

Perurena is married to Maite Zubitur, and they have three children.

References

{{Authority control 1956 births Bertsolaris Spanish male weightlifters People from Norte de Aralar Sportspeople from Navarre Living people 20th-century Spanish sportsmen